1. Field
The methods and systems herein described relate to mobile device identification and authentication for access to and presentation of targeted content.
2. Description of the Related Art
Methods and systems exist for targeting content, including advertising content, directed to users of network-connected devices, such as televisions, mobile handsets, computers, radios, advertising screens and the like. Such content-targeting methods face various challenges, depending on the users and devices to which content is targeted. For example, television and radio advertisements are often directed to a mass audience, with little information about specific users. Internet advertisements may be based on cookies or similar mechanisms that indicate that a user is returning to a particular site, but targeting based on cookies and similar information are subject to limitations, among them being that multiple users may access the Internet through the same device. Mobile content may be targeted more easily to a specific user, such as based on information about the user in a database maintained by a wireless carrier or based on the user's interaction with content on the mobile handset, but the more limited range of content that can be delivered to mobile devices means that profiles based on that usage are often limited and sometimes misleading. Accordingly, a need exists for better methods of targeting content to users of all types of network-connected devices.